


Folkway

by Syntax



Series: 50k Challenge Oneshots [13]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Culture, Darkrai as Local Cryptid, Gen, No Dialogue, Post-Canon, Superstition
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-04
Updated: 2020-03-04
Packaged: 2021-02-23 06:28:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23007181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Syntax/pseuds/Syntax
Summary: Here's a lesson that Dawn learned quickly after moving in to Canalave Town: nobody opens their windows after the sun sets, for any reason.
Series: 50k Challenge Oneshots [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1627744
Comments: 7
Kudos: 53





	Folkway

Here's a lesson that Dawn learned quickly after moving in to Canalave Town: nobody opens their windows after the sun sets, for any reason.

Officially, it's a local superstition. If you open a window at night, you risk evil spirits sneaking into your home along with the wind. Not to mention, if you open the window at night, there's a risk you might forget to close it or lock it properly, and something more ephemeral than an evil spirit can sneak in.

Unofficially, there's really only one thing that people want to keep out.

Here's a lesson that Dawn learned quickly after moving in to Canalave Town: never go into any building that hasn't been vetted by a local first, and especially never sleep there.

She tells her new local friends about the inn she stayed in once while she was on her pokemon journey, the cozy atmosphere but the spooky feeling, and the odd dream she had there. She had dinner with the innkeeper that night and counted all her coins to make sure she'd have the correct amount to check out with in the morning. When she woke up the next morning, no one was there.

Her local friends look at her, and look at each other, and say nothing.

Here's a lesson that Dawn learned quickly after moving in to Canalave Town: no one tells ghost stories unless they're outside the city limits.

Canalave is a port town, first and foremost. Nearly all of its industry revolves around the sea—so naturally, nearly all of its ghost stories revolve around the sea as well. It's just bad luck to tell those kinds of stories within the city limits, she hears her local friends say. You might invite misfortune on the sailors and their families.

But there's more than just crashing waves and eerie merpeople that haunt Canalave's folklore.

Here's a lesson that Dawn learned quickly after moving in to Canalave Town: if you find yourself dreaming about a figure in black, wake yourself up as fast as you can, and don't go back to sleep.

Her local friends all have complicated lives and busy schedules. It's not uncommon to see one of more of them looking like they didn't sleep a wink that night, kept up by work or school or volunteering or games or any number of things. It's become somewhat of an inside joke between them, guessing what kept someone up all night and so sleepy in the morning that they put their clothes on wrong.

No one ever wants to suggest having a bad dream and holding out until the sun rose.

She stands in her house, thinking about all the places she's gone and all the things she's seen and all the lessons she's learned, and she makes a decision.

She packs a bag full of blankets and snacks and goes out into the city looking for old buildings. Ones that the locals don't go into. Ones with plenty of windows.

When she finds one, she pitches herself a tent inside and makes herself a little campsite. She pulls out a book that she checked out from the library. She starts reading ghost stories aloud to herself.

After hours of reading and reading and snacking and lounging, she calls it a night. She opens the windows. She goes back to her tent. She cuddles up in her blankets. She shuts her lights off.

She dreams about figures in blue and figures in white, and figures in grey and figures in gold, and when she finally dreams about a figure in black, she lets her dream play out however it wants to.

She has a conversation. She has an adventure. She has maybe a battle or two or three, like when she was a younger girl. She feels perhaps a little watched, but perfectly fine otherwise.

When she wakes up the next morning, there's someone there.

She greets her black and red guest with a gentle good morning and offers it some of her leftover snacks.

Here's a lesson that Dawn learned quickly after moving in to Canalave Town: even gods can get lonely.

**Author's Note:**

> GUESS WHO JUST FINISHED THEIR SECOND 50K WORD CHALLENGE BABEY


End file.
